Updating Access automatically from Word or Excel

[Guest]

I need to compile a database where table fields are updated automatically
from a work document (it could also be an excel spreadsheet).

The word/excel document is regularly updated with project tasks for a
variety of work departments. These tasks have to be logged in the database
for allocation to a workstream and given a reference number at the same time.
This reference number will refer to the department/workstream who will be
assigned the task. The database will also hold a variety of other info
relating to contacts, addresses, telephone numbers etc but I can handle those
ok.

I want to set this up so that it is easily maintained and updated by anyone
familiar with Word but not Access so an automatic update or hyperlink
function would be useful. Access would in turn produce Reports (which I can
set up).

 

[John Vinson]

I need to compile a database where table fields are updated automatically
from a work document (it could also be an excel spreadsheet).

The word/excel document is regularly updated with project tasks for a
variety of work departments. These tasks have to be logged in the database
for allocation to a workstream and given a reference number at the same time.
This reference number will refer to the department/workstream who will be
assigned the task. The database will also hold a variety of other info
relating to contacts, addresses, telephone numbers etc but I can handle those
ok.

You can use File... Get External Data... Link in Access; select Excel
from the "files of type" dropdown box, and simply *link* to an Excel
spreadsheet. You won't be able to update it from Access (and in this
case, that's probably a Good Thing) but otherwise you can treat the
spreadsheet as if it were a table; any updates to the spreadsheet will
be immediately available to your Access queries and reports.

Word tables are... ummm... not tables; at least in my experience it's
vastly harder to interface them to Access. Others may have found
solutions, but I'd go with Excel if you have the choice!

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Guest]

John
That did exactly what I was trying to achieve....and more! Many thanks!